"A five member ministerial committee has been formed to discuss the issue of the religion column in our passports."
"Will the committee cost the tax payer any money?"
"Well, I am not sure about the extent of the money it will cost us but there will be some implications I would imagine."
"What implications?"
"Well, a committee consisting of ministers requires the use of official cars, so petrol..."
"Don't be stupid. If the ministers are not using the cars officially then you know that their spouses or their children are using the official cars unofficially so I would reckon this is cost neutral."
"Then of course no committee meets in this country without being served tea and biscuits."
"One, the cost of tea and biscuits is too little and two it's not as if the members of the committee are not going to be drinking tea and eating biscuits at our expense if this particular committee doesn't meet."
"Right. But who are the members of the committee."
"It is to be headed by Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal..."
"I suppose it is appropriate given that he has no powers over defence - I mean considering the fact that Musharraf is still wearing his uniform..."
"Yeah I guess, any way one of the other members are Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed."
"He is important - I mean he will make sure the meeting's deliberations get coverage."
"I thought the purpose of the committee was..."
"Was to get coverage first and foremost. Don't forget which party wants the column re-instituted. Anyway other members of the committee are Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi, Narcotics Control Minister Ghous Bux Khan Maher, Minister for SAFRON Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanullah Khan Jadoon."
"Why were Ijazul Haq as the Minister for Religious Affairs and the Interior Minister barred from the Committee?"
"They have already expressed their views publicly on the issue."
"How very fair. But the present members of the committee haven't yet? Is it because they don't care either way, in which case they are easier to manipulate, or because they...are what?"
"Don't know the real reason. I mean there is one from every province, but with our Disinformation Minister it makes two from Punjab."
"That doesn't matter - I mean they are all Lotas. What we may need in the committee are some voices from the Opposition."
"Personally I think we shouldn't have a religion column - it's one step closer to secularism..."
"With the Hudood ordinance you really think so?"
"It's funny, sometimes the Lotas pass bills they don't care to implement and others like the dual office bill they enforce immediately."
"And you also know why. But frankly I don't know why this committee was instituted in the first place. Why don't they have a referendum?"
"Referendums are only on decisions already made and only about who is to continue to rule us."
"So you think this issue is different."
"Yes, because this may have an element of political compromise with the Maulanas...if they don't launch that protest movement then the government will spend millions to re-institute the column, I think the cost of this is exorbitant."
"Ah yes."
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